Animal feeder

ABSTRACT

A hopper stores a quantity of dry, particulate animal feed and is partially closed at the bottom by a feed guide plate having downwardly curved sides and a central circular orifice. The orifice extends into an agitator chamber having generally conical wall surfaces and a flat circular floor. The conical walls of the agitator chamber include a discharge opening which leads to a delivery chute. A motor driven agitator blade having an upstanding feeder shaft extending into the hopper orifice is rotatably mounted above the floor of the agitator chamber. When the motor is energized rotation of the agitator blade, including the feeder shaft, causes feed to flow from the hopper orifice into the path of the agitator blade. The rotating blade fluidizes the feed particles and centrifugally deflects them in a circular path about the chamber walls so that the feed flows through the discharge opening down the delivery chute and into an eating bowl.

United States Patent [1 1 Fassauer 1 Apr. 2, 1974 1 ANIMAL FEEDER [76]inventor: Arthur L. Fassauer, PO. Box 615,

Canyon, Tex. 79015 221 Filed: July 27,1972

211 Appl. No; 275,756

[52] U.S. Cl. 119/5l.1l, 119/56 R, 222/383,

259/44 [51] Int. Cl A0lk 5/02 [58] Field of Search l19/51.1l, 56 R, 56A;

222/383, 564; 241/46 A, 46 B, 186 R; 259/43, 44, DIG. 25, DIG. 26

Jameson 259/43 Knittel 259/43 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock AssistantExaminer-J. A. Oliff [57] ABSTRACT A hopper stores a quantity of dry,particulate animal feed and is partially closed at the bottom by a feedguide plate having downwardly curved sides and a central circularorifice. The orifice extends into an agitator chamber having generallyconical wall surfaces and a flat circular floor. The conical walls ofthe agitator chamber include a discharge opening which leads to adelivery chute. A motor driven agitator blade having an upstandingfeeder shaft extending into the hopper orifice is rotatably mountedabove the floor of the agitator chamber. When the motor is energizedrotation of the agitator blade, including the feeder shaft, causes feedto flow from the hopper orifice into the path of the agitator blade. Therotating blade fluidizes the feed particles and centrifugally deflectsthem in a circular path about the chamber walls so that the feed flowsthrough the discharge opening down the delivery chute and into an eatingbowl.

. slam 8 Drawing F u v PMENTED R 2 I974 SHEET 1 BF 2 F"IG.2

ANIMAL FEEDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Theinvention relates to animal feeders, and more particularly, to an animalfeeder for dispensing predetermined'quantities of feed particles into abowl.

2. History of the Prior Art In the past animal feeders have been of thetype wherein feed is periodically augered from a hopper into a trough orwherein periodic movement of a release gate causes material to drop froma hopper into a receiving receptacle. These types of feeders possessnumerous disadvantages in that the feed delivery mechanisms arerelatively large and mechanically complex and, consequently, are subjectto mechanical malfunction and/or substantial maintenance. Other types ofprior art animal feeders have employed centrifugal force for dispensingfeed by including rotating pipes and nozzles which project the feed intothe ground in a circular pattern about the feeder. Prior art centrifugalfeeders also exhibit certain disadvantages, such as a failure todistribute feed into a single, localized area as required for suchapplications as pet feeding and veterinarial institutions. The presentanimal feeder overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art feedersand provides a compact dispensing structure which has few moving partsand accurately dispenses a predetermined quantity of feed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to animal feeders, andmore particularly, to an animal feeder for dispensing quantities of feedparticles into a bowl. In accordance with one aspect of the invention anannular, fluidized, circumferentially moving layer of animal feed isgenerated in an agitation zone. The animal feed is directed from thelayer out of the agitation zone at a predetermined rate and additionalanimal feed is admitted to the agitation zone at the same predeterminedrate.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention an upwardly andoutwardly tapered conical wall defines an agitation chamber. Outletmeans are formed through the conical wall and extend to an animalfeeding receptacle. An agitator blade is supported in the bottom of theagitation chamber for rotation about the axis of the conical wall andthe blade includes surfaces extending angularly. relative to the axis ofthe conical wall. Means are included for rotating the agitation blade inthe agitation chamber at a predetermined rate and thereby forming anannular, fluidized layer of animal feed on the wall which travelscircumferentially around the wall for discharge through the outlet meansinto the animal feeding receptacle. A hopper is mounted above theagitation chamber for receiving a supply of animal feed and means aremounted between the hopper and the agitation zone for directing animalfeed from the hopper into the agitation zone at the same rate thatanimal feed is discharged from the agitation zone through the outletmeans.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a more complete understanding ofthe present invention and for further objects of the advantages thereof,reference may now be had to the following de scription taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of the animal feeder of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross section view of the animal feeder of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the animal feeder with the hopper removedshowing the feed guide plate, agitator chamber and agitator bladestructure;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the animal feeder with both the hopper and thefeed guide plate and the chute cover removed showing the agitatorchamber and agitator blade structure;

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of the agitator blade used inthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the agitator blade of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the agitator blade of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an automatic distribution timing circuitused in one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown aperspective view of the outer housing fo the animal feeder of thepresent invention. The housing includes a base 11 having verticallyoriented cylindrical walls 12 and a flat top portion 13. The base 11includes a cylindrical projection 14 which houses an eating bowl 15. Theeating bowl 15 may be formed integrally with the base as shown, or maybe removable or include a removable liner for apparent sanitary reasons.Mounted on the top portion 13 of the base 11 is an upstanding hopper andfeeder module 16 including a conical hopper section 17 having upwardlyand outwardly extending walls and which is closed at the top by aremovable cylindrical cover 18. Between the hopper section 17 and thebase portion 11 there is a feed distribution section 19 havingdownwardly and outwardly extending walls. A feed distribution opening 21is formed in the distribution section 19 and is partially enclosed by acover member 22. A feed distribution push switch 20 is mounted on theside of the hopper section 17.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side cross section view of theanimal feeder shown in FIG. 1. The cover 18 is preferably attached tothe hopper section 17 by a close sliding fit. Alternatively, matingscrew threads may be provided on the two surfaces. The cover 18 isremovable in order to permit the hopper to be filled with animal feedpreferably in a granular or pelletized form, but also in any other dry,particulate form as may be desirable in particular instances.

The walls of the hopper section 17 extend downwardly and are closed atthe bottom by a feed guide plate 23. The guide plate 23 has wallsurfaces which are generally hyperbolic in cross section and extendinwardly and downwardly to form a hopper orifice 24. The orifice 24 isdefined by a cylindrical ring section 25 connected to the downwardlyextending walls of the feed guide plate 23.

Located below the orifice 24 is an agitator chamber 26 which is closedat the bottom by a flat circular floor 27. The sides of the chamber 26are formed by cylindrical walls 28 which extend upwardly from the foor27 and which are connected to upwardly and outwardly flaring conicalwalls 29. The conical walls 29 are joined to a short cylindrical ringsection 30 which abuts the bottom of the hopper 17. The agitator chamber26 is partially enclosed at the top by the bottom surface of the feedguide plate 23.

The conical walls 29 of the agitator chamber 26 are interrupted by adischarge opening 31 as is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The dischargeopening 31 is defined by a pair of opposed parallel side edges 32 and ahorizontal bottom edge 33. The bottom edge 33 is located slightly abovethe juncture of the cylindrical walls 28 and the conical walls 29.

The discharge opening 31 leads into a feed delivery chute 34 having aflat inclined bottom 35, and parallel, vertically extending sides 36.The sides 36 fit within the inner walls of the cover member 22 whichencloses the chute.

A motor chamber 37 is located beneath the agitator chamber 26. Anelectric motor 38 connected through a speed reducer 39 is mounted withinthe chamber 37. The output shaft 41 of the speed reducer 39 extends upinto the agitator chamber 26 through an opening in the center of thefloor 27. An agitator blade 42 is fixed to the end of the output shaft41 above the surface of the circular floor 27. An upstanding feedershaft 43 is mounted to the blade 42, spaced from the shaft 41, andextending up into the hopper orifice 24. Upon energization of the motor38, the blade 42 rotates within the cylindrical walls 28 of the agitatorchamber 26 and the feeder shaft 43 moves in a circular path within thehopper orifice 24.

The motor 38 is powered by current from a battery 45 which is mounted tothe underside of the base 11 by a clamp assembly 46. The motor andbattery are interconnected with the actuation switch 20 via leads (notshown) which lie within a channel in the walls of the hopper l7.

As shown in FIGS. and 6, the agitator blade 42 includes a centralopening 51 having a pair of opposed flat shoulder portions 52 which lockthe blade to mating surfaces on the output shaft 41 (FIG. 2). The blade42 also includes a socket 53 which extends parallel to and spaced fromthe opening 51. The socket 53 receives the lower end of the feeder shaft43. As shown best in FIG. 7, the blade 42 includes a pair of beveledsurfaces 54 and 55.

Before operation, the feeder of the invention is filled by removing thecover 18 from the hopper l7 and placing a supply of dry, particulatefeed therein. The feed guide plate 23 prevents feed in the hopper fromflooding into and choking the agitator chamber 26. Instead, a limitedamount of feed passes through the hopper orifice 24 until the flow isrestricted by either material lying at the angle of repose beneath theorifice 24 or by bridging within the orifice 24.

When the distribution switch 20 is pressed, the motor 38 is energized torotate the output shaft 41 and the agitator blade 42. When the agitatorblade 42 is rotating,

movement of thefeeder shaft 43 in a circular path,

within the orifice 24 breaks any bridges which may have developed andcauses the feed to flow down into the agitator chamber 26 into the pathof the agitator blade 42. The surfaces 54 and 55 of the agitator blade42 strike the feed particles and move them in a pattern up onto andabout the conical walls 29, in the direction of rotation of the blade42. The centrifugal and agitating motion imparted to the feed particlesin the chamber 26 produces an expansion and fluidization of the massinto an annular moving layer of material disposed about the conicalchamber walls 29. When the individ ual particles in the fluidized massmoving centrifugally about the walls 29 reach the discharge opening 31,they move outwardly between the edges 32 and down the feed deliverychute 34. The appearance of the feed within the agitator chamber as itis being dispensed is that of an annular fluidized mass of particlesthinly covering the conical wall surfaces 29 and moving in acircumferential pattern about the walls with a portion of the massflowing smoothly out of the agitation zone and through the dischargeopening 31. As the dispensed feed moves out of the agitator chamber 26,more feed passes into the chamber through the orifice 24 due to theaction of feeder shaft 43.

A very important feature of the invention comprises the cooperationbetween the hopper section 17, the feed guide plate 23 and extending tothe orifice 24, and the agitator chamber 26. During the operation of theanimal feeder, additional animal feed is admitted through the orifice 24at exactly the same rate that ani? mal feed is discharged through theopening 31. By this means the quantity of animal feed within the chamber26 is maintained constant throughout the operation of the device.

One feature of the operation of the present invention is that for aparticular size and weight of feed particles the mass of feed deliveredis linearly related to the time interval of actuation. That is, thecooperation of the parts of the feeder including the manner in which thefeed is fluidized with particles being distributed in an annular layerabout the conical walls of the agitator chamber is such that for eachsecond of energization a metered quantity of feed is dispensed. Bycontrolling the time period during which the switch 20 is closed thedispensed quantity of feed may be controlled to a high degree ofaccuracy.

The animal feeder of the present invention, in addi tion to beingadapted for actuation by the momentary press switch 23, can also beautomatically operated at preselected times to run for a preselecteddispensing interval. As pointed out above, actuation of the unit for agiven period of tme results in dispensing a metered quantity of feedinto the bowl 15. This feature is particularly important forveterinarial institutions and laboratories in that it ensures that theanimals being fed receive rigorously controlled diets with a preselectedquantity of feed being dispensed at preselected hours of the day. Also,this feature enables a pet owner to leave the animal alone for severaldays with the assurance that it will be regularly fed.

As shown in FIG. 8, an alternate embodiment of the invention involvestiming circuitry whereby the feeder is automatically actuated atpredetermined times during the day, under control of Timer 1. Eachactuation is for only a preselected period of time, under control ofTimer II, in order to measure out a desired quantity of feed. Both Timer1 and Timer II may be mechanically operated or be powered by batteriesand 61, as shown. As illustrated in FIG. 8, one terminal of the battery45 is connected through an on-off switch 52 to the motor 38. The othertenninal of the battery 45 is connected to Timer 1. Timer I is adaptedto momentarily energize Timer II which then locks itself to the batteryterminal, via contacts 62, and remains energized for a preselectedperiod of time. While Timer ll is operated, power supplied is from thebattery 45, through contacts 62 and Timer ll to energize the motor 38and distribute feed into the bowl (FIG. 2). Once Timer II has finishedits timing cycle, the circuits, including contacts 62, is again openedand is ready for re-energization by Timer 1 at the next feeding time.

It is to be understood that the operative portion of the animal feecerof the present invention can be placed in other housings more adaptedfor the feeding of larger animals such as horses, which might includelarger hopper sections and feeding troughs. While it may be necessary tochange some of the dimensions of various parts of the feeder, the basicstructure and operation remains the same. Further, in each instancewhere a battery is called for herein it is to be understood that othertypes of power sources, such as a rectifier power supply, could be used.

By way of specific example of one embodiment of the invention, thehopper 17 was filled with a 35-pound mass of discrete feed particles ofGaines Meal, each particle having a cylindrical configurationapproximately five-sixteenth inch in diameter. The motor 38 used was a1/15 horse power 1750 RPM d.c. motor. The speed of the output shaft 41was reduced by the speed reducer 39 to a substantially constant speed ofabout 160 RPM. When the motor was energized the centrifugal andagitating motion imparted to the feed particles in the chamber 26produced an expansion and fluidization of the mass along the conicalchamber walls 29. As the particles moved circularly about the walls 29,they flowed radially through the discharge opening 31 and out thedistribution opening 21 into the eating bowl 15. Despite the relativelyhigh speed of the agitator blade 42, the particles were delivered intothe bowl 15 without breakage and with an accuracy of i 8 grams in each250 gram distribution sample over a total delivery of 35 pounds.Considerably larger or smaller size feed particles can be handled by thefeeder of the present invention with equal facility by merely changingthe dimensions of the parts.

Having described the invention in connection with certain specificemgodirnents thereof, it is to be understood that further modificationmay now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and is intendedto cover such modifications as fall in the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An animal feeder comprising:

means including an agitator blade rotating at a predetermined velocityfor generating a fluidized, circumferentially traveling body of animalfeed in an agitation zone comprising a substantially flat, generallyhorizontally disposed floor and a generally upwardly extending annularwall encircling the floor;

said agitator blade being mounted in the bottom of said agitation zoneadjacent said floor;

a discharge opening formed in the annular wall for receiving feed fromthe traveling body thereof and thereby directing animal feed out of theagitation zone at a predetermined rate; and

means for admitting additional animal feed to the agitation zone at thesame predetermined rate.

2. An animal feeder comprising:

means defining a supply of particulate animal feed;

an agitator chamber comprising a substantially flat,

horizontally disposed floor and an upwardly and outwardly taperedconical wall extending around the floor and having a discharge openingformed in means for directing animal feed from the supply means to theagitator chamber;

an agitator mounted in the bottom of the agitator chamber;

means for rotating the agitator in the agitator chamber at apredetermined rate and thereby forming a fluidized zone of animal feedon the conical wall of the chamber which moves circumferentially alongthe wall and out through the discharge opening during the portion ofeach rotation of the agitator in which the fluidized Zone is alignedwith the opening.

3. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said directing meansincludes a feed guide plate mounted beneath said supply means, saidplate having inwardly and donwardly directed surfaces to define anorifice for restricting the passage of feed therethrough.

4. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said supply meansincludes an elongate vertically extending hopper and wherein said feedguide plate forms the bottom of said hopper.

5. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 4 wherein said rotating meansincludes electric motor means having an output vertically extendingshaft from the bottom of the agitator chamber, and wherein said agitatorincludes a blade fixed to the output shaft for rotation about itscentral axis.

6. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 3 wherein said directing meansalso includes a feeder shaft mounted to said agitator and extending upinto the orifice of said feed guide plate for movement within saidorifice upon rotation of said agitator to produce feed flow from saidsupply means into said agitator chamber. I y

7. An animal feeder comprising:

a substantially flat, generally horizontally disposed floor and anupwardly and outwardly tapered conical wall encircling the floor forcooperation therewith to define an agitation chamber;

outlet means fonned through the conical wall and extending to an animalfeeding receptacle;

an agitator blade supported in the bottom of the agitation chamber forrotation about the axis of the conical wall and comprising surfacesextending angularly relative to the axis of the conical wall;

said agitator blade having a top surface located beneath the bottom ofthe outlet means;

means for rotating the agitation blade in the agitation chamber at apredetermined rate and thereby forming a fluidized layer of animal feedon the wall which extends above the top surface of the blade and abovethe bottom of the outlet means and which travels circumferentiallyaround the wall for discharge through the outlet means into the animalfeeding receptacle during the portion of each rotation of the blade inwhich the fluidized layer is aligned with the outlet means;

a hopper mounted above the agitation chamber for receiving a supply ofanimal feed; and

means mounted between the hopper and the agitation zone for directinganimal feed from the hopper into the agitation zone at the same ratethat animal feed is discharged from the agitation zone through theoutlet means.

8. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 7 wherein said directing meansincludes:

a feed guide plate having a reduced orifice therein for restricting theflow of feed from said hopper to said agitation chamber; and

means extending from said chamber into said orifice and adapted formovement within said orifice upon rotation of said blade for preventingthe formation of feed bridges within said orifice and producing a alsoincludes:

means for energizing said rotating means at selected intervals forpreselected time periods to dispense a preselected quantity of feed intothe animal feeding receptacle.

P "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFILATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,800,7 6 Q Dated April .2, 19?

Inventor) Arthur L. Fassauer It is certified that error a gpears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Col. 1, line 22, "intothe ground" should be -'-'onto the qround Col. 2,line 31, "housing; fo the" should be --housing of the--. Col. 3, line t,"foor 27" should be --floor 27--.

Col. 4, line 16, "press switch 23" (press switch 23 was changed to pressswitch 20 everywhere but here by Examiner's amendment line 4.9, "of tme"should be -of time--. Col. 5, line '9', "circuits" should be --circuitCol. 6, line 25, "donwardly" should be -downward1y--. Col. 8, linel,"flow 22 feed" should be --flow of feed--.

Signed and sealed this I 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

} McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. An animal feeder comprising: means including an agitator bladerotating at a predetermined velocity for generating a fluidized,circumferentially traveling body of animal feed in an agitation zonecomprising a substantially flat, generally horizontally disposed floorand a generally upwardly extending annular wall encircling the floor;said agitator blade being mounted in the bottom of said agitation zoneadjacent said floor; a discharge opening formed in the annular wall forreceiving feed from the traveling body thereof and thereby directinganimal feed out of the agitation zone at a predetermined rate; and meansfor admitting additional animal feed to the agitation zone at the samepredetermined rate.
 2. An animal feeder comprising: means defining asupply of particulate animal feed; an agitator chamber comprising asubstantially flat, horizontally disposed floor and an upwardly andoutwardly tapered conical wall extending around the floor and having adischarge opening formed in it; means for directing animal feed from thesupply means to the agitator chamber; an agitator mounted in the bottomof the agitator chamber; means for rotating the agitator in the agitatorchamber at a predetermined rate and thereby forming a fluidized zone ofanimal feed on the conical wall of the chamber which movescircumferentially along the wall and out through the discharge openingduring the portion of each rotation of the agitator in which thefluidized zone is aligned with the opening.
 3. An animal feeder as setforth in claim 2 wherein said directing means includes a feed guideplate mounted beneath said supply means, said plate having inwardly anddonwardly directed surfaces to define an orifice for restricting thepassage of feed therethrough.
 4. An animal feeder as set forth in claim3 wherein said supply means includes an elongate vertically extendinghopper and wherein said feed guide plate forms the bottom of saidhopper.
 5. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 4 wherein saidrotating means includes electric motor means having an output verticallyextending shaft from the bottom of the agitator chamber, and whereinsaid agitator includes a blade fixed to the output shaft for rotationabout its central axis.
 6. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 3wherein said directing means also includes a feeder shaft mounted tosaid agitator and extending up into the orifice of said feed guide platefor movement within said orifice upon rotation of said agitator toproduce feed flow from said supply means into said agitator chamber. 7.An animal feeder comprising: a substantially flat, generallyhorizontally disposed floor and an upwardly and outwardly taperedconical wall encircling The floor for cooperation therewith to define anagitation chamber; outlet means formed through the conical wall andextending to an animal feeding receptacle; an agitator blade supportedin the bottom of the agitation chamber for rotation about the axis ofthe conical wall and comprising surfaces extending angularly relative tothe axis of the conical wall; said agitator blade having a top surfacelocated beneath the bottom of the outlet means; means for rotating theagitation blade in the agitation chamber at a predetermined rate andthereby forming a fluidized layer of animal feed on the wall whichextends above the top surface of the blade and above the bottom of theoutlet means and which travels circumferentially around the wall fordischarge through the outlet means into the animal feeding receptacleduring the portion of each rotation of the blade in which the fluidizedlayer is aligned with the outlet means; a hopper mounted above theagitation chamber for receiving a supply of animal feed; and meansmounted between the hopper and the agitation zone for directing animalfeed from the hopper into the agitation zone at the same rate thatanimal feed is discharged from the agitation zone through the outletmeans.
 8. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 7 wherein saiddirecting means includes: a feed guide plate having a reduced orificetherein for restricting the flow of feed from said hopper to saidagitation chamber; and means extending from said chamber into saidorifice and adapted for movement within said orifice upon rotation ofsaid blade for preventing the formation of feed bridges within saidorifice and producing a flow 22 feed into said chamber.
 9. An animalfeeder as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means extending into saidorifice includes an upstanding feeder shaft mounted to said blade, saidshaft being parallel to but spaced from the axis of rotation of saidblade.
 10. An animal feeder as set forth in claim 7 wherein saidrotating means includes an electric motor having an output shaftconnected to said agitator blade.
 11. An animal feeder as set forth inclaim 7 which also includes: means for energizing said rotating means atselected intervals for preselected time periods to dispense apreselected quantity of feed into the animal feeding receptacle.